The current methods for water desalination based on electrical approaches that use membranes for ion filtration can be inefficient in terms of energy efficiency. One reason for energy inefficient desalination is the concentration polarization (CP) region at the membrane solution interface. A better understanding towards CP is essential in improving the process and increasing the efficiency of the membrane separation processes. This work reports on characterization and identification of CP regimes for a potassium phosphate buffer through model nanocapillary array membranes or NCAMs for sub-1V operation conditions. The low operating voltage range is chosen to minimize faradaic reactions and complement other research in the Prakash group towards low-energy consuming water desalination. Three nanopore sizes in
NCAMs (10 nm, 50 nm, 100 nm) were used under different bias (10 mV - 750 mV) and concentration (0.2 mM, 1 mM, 10 mM) at pH 7. CP regime is identified and compared to previous reports for CP in membrane system with electrokinetically driven flows. The results indicate that the voltage for onset of the CP regime increases with smaller pore size and lower buffer concentration.

Embargo:

No embargo

Series/Report no.:

The Ohio State University. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Honors Theses; 2012

Keywords:

water desalinationconcentration polarizationelectric double layer

Sponsors:

Undergraduate Research Scholarship, College of Engineering, The Ohio State UniversityMicrosystems and Nanosystems Lab, The Ohio State University

URI:

http://hdl.handle.net/1811/52845

Items in Knowledge Bank are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.